He was UAE’s most successful captain in the shortest format, and helped the team qualify for the 2022 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2023

Former UAE captain Ahmed Raza, 34, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Raza is UAE’s most successful captain in the shortest format, with the team winning 18 of its 27 T20Is under him. UAE also secured a place at the 2022 T20 World Cup under his leadership, which he stated was “a significant achievement of mine.”He is now set to take up a new role as UAE’s assistant coach.”It is with great pride that I’m announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket,” Raza wrote on social media. “After much thought, I believe this is the right time to step away from the game that has given me so much love and respect over the last 17 years. “Representing and leading my country in the great sport of cricket has been one of the greatest honors of mine. I must thank the Board, my colleagues, coaches, selectors and most importantly my late father, who supported and enabled me to live my dream to the fullest. Also, my mother, my siblings and my friends who were there through it all. Lastly and most importantly to my wife, Mehreen, who has been my biggest support system over the last few years.”It’s hard to pinpoint a moment over the course of 17 years, however, leading the UAE to the T20 World Cup will always be a significant achievement of mine.”Whilst there are many that supported me throughout my career – I would like to say a special thank you to Aqib Javed, who contributed greatly to my success and turned a rookie into a thorough professional.”I am looking forward to what the future holds.”Raza’s international career began in 2006 when he debuted at age 17 in the EurAsia Cricket Series against an India A side that included the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. He made his ICC tournament debut the following year against Scotland in the four-day Intercontinental Cup competition and later went on to represent UAE in 108 games across the ODI and T20I formats. One of the highlights of his career was leading the team to an undefeated run in the 2022 T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Oman. It came just under years after one of the most tumultuous periods in UAE Cricket history when he was thrust into the captaincy on the eve of the same T20 World Cup Qualifiers in 2019 where Mohammad Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, and Qadeer Ahmed were suspended for match-fixing just days before the start of the competition. Naveed immediately stood down as captain following the corruption scandal.In August last year, CP Rizwan replaced the left-arm spinner Raza as UAE captain in T20Is with the board deciding to appoint captains with “sole-format focus”. However, Rizwan subsequently was named ODI captain soon after to take over from Raza in that format as well.In the 53 ODIs he played, Raza took 64 wickets and scored 409 runs; in 55 T20Is, he accounted for 37 wickets.

Ben Stokes says he can’t see James Anderson stopping anytime soon after the 40-year-old topped the latest ICC men’s Test rankings.Anderson will earn his 179th cap on Friday as England named an unchanged team for the 2nd Test against New Zealand at Wellington. It was at the Basin Reserve 15 years ago that Lancashire quick was recalled to the team aged 26, accompanying Stuart Broad for the first time and becoming the consistent force he is today.A first trip to the summit came in May 2016, then again in 2018. Now, off the back of seven wickets at Mount Maunganui to help England go 1-0 up in the series with their 10th victory out of 11, which also dropped his average under 26 for the first time since his second cap, he becomes the oldest player (40 years and 207 days) to assume top spot since Australia legspinner Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.Related

• Anderson reclaims No. 1 spot in Test bowling rankings; Hasaranga at top in T20Is

• 'Let's play Bazball!' – Ranking England's 11 Tests under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes

It might be a short-lived time at the top, with R Ashwin trailing by just two ranking points. Though the captain does not believe he is bothered either way.”No,” responded Stokes when asked if the news brought a smile to Anderson’s face. “I don’t think he’ll be that fussed by it, to be honest – he’ll just keep doing his thing.”Nevertheless, Stokes feels the new status is simply aligning with what the dressing room and the rest of English cricket feel. That Anderson, for a while, has been a standout in his field. With 682 wickets to his name so far, there is scope for plenty more.”Albeit him being 40, I just can’t see him stopping,” Stokes said. “Every time he turns out there, he’s one of the main guys you throw the ball to when you feel like you need a wicket. He’s just relentless with everything that he does.”We’re very lucky to have him. Rightfully so he’s back at the top. I know sometimes those rankings don’t mean much to people, but in our opinion, he has been one of the best, if not the best, for longer than what these rankings say.”The sentiment was shared by New Zealand captain Tim Southee. Aged 34 himself, Southee is all too aware of the toll bowling takes on the body. And yet he too tips Anderson to continue on into the future.”He’s phenomenal and has been for a long period of time,” Southee said. “To have played as many Test matches as he’s had is phenomenal on its own.”He doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any stage. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching it from afar and any time you play against them it’s a great chance to catch up and talk to them.”To see a 40-year-old sitting at the top of the charts is pretty impressive.”

Peter Hatzoglou stars with three wickets to keep up hopes of quarter-final berth

ECB Reporters Network18-Jun-2023

Glamorgan got back to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a 32-run victory over Gloucestershire in Cardiff. A half century for Sam Northeast and a very solid bowling display from the home side was enough to claim their fifth win of the season and keep their hopes of qualification to the knockout stages alive.Glamorgan struggled at first but Northeast was well supported by Billy Root, Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten as they battled to a very challenging total of 183 for five.Gloucestershire started slowly but looked to be building towards making this game a close one, but the fall of five wickets for 15 runs at the back end of their chase gave Glamorgan the win.This victory puts Glamorgan level with Hampshire on 10 points and in the mix for a place in the quarter-finals. Gloucestershire remain on just six points and will need to start putting together some results to push for the latter stages.It was a slow start in the first few overs for Glamorgan with further injuries resulting in another new opening partnership for the home side. This time it was Prem Sisodiya who was given the job at the top of the order with Kiran Carlson. Both openers were gone within the first three overs with Glamorgan reduced to 18 for two.With Colin Ingram joining the lengthy Glamorgan injury list it was left to Northeast and Root to rebuild. The two shared a stand of 45 that saw them get out of the Powerplay without the loss of any further wickets and with some acceleration.Root was dismissed for 36 from 24 balls when he was caught at point from a thick outside edge off the bowling of Tom Smith.Northeast was happy to play the anchor role as players attacked around him and the in form Chris Cooke got off to a flying start on his way to 28 from 17 balls before he became Tom Smith’s second victim to leave Glamorgan 116 for four in the 15 over.An acceleration was needed and that it just want Timm van der Gugten provided as he smoked four sixes on his way to a crucial 38 from 17 balls. His effort was what took Glamorgan to a very competitive total that was tricky when starting your innings.Northeast was unbeaten at the end with 60 from 48 balls as Glamorgan reached 183 for five, an innings that held together a batting effort from a makeshift top order.The Gloucestershire innings also got off to a sluggish start, with them reaching the end of the PowerPlay at 44 for one with Miles Hammond the man dismissed for 9 from 11 balls.Grant Roelofsen had reached 33 from 24 balls when he was caught in the deep by Northeast off the bowling of Sisodiya just as he looked set and was starting to push on to leave Gloucestershire 63 for two in the ninth over.When Ben Wells was bowled by Peter Hatzoglou for 15 it left Gloucestershire needing 89 runs from 49 balls.It was Ben Charlesworth who led the charge with a very well made 45 from 28 balls before he was brilliantly caught by Billy Root on the square leg boundary to give Hatzoglou his second.Another fantastic bit of fielding saw the end of Tom Price when Sisodiya took a catch over his shoulder while running away from the ball off the bowling of Ruaidhri Smith. Van Der Gugten took two wickets in two balls as part of a sequence that saw Gloucestershire go from 113 for three to 128 for eight.Some lusty blows at the end of the Gloucestershire innings from David Payne gave the visiting fans something to cheer but the result was a heavy defeat against rivals from the other side of the Severn Bridge.

The schedule for the 2023 World Cup will be unveiled during the World Test Championship final at The Oval, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said. The board has prepared a list of more than a dozen venues across India, and the final shortlist will be shared with the ICC soon.Shah made these comments during a media briefing after the BCCI’s special general meeting in Ahmedabad which will host the IPL final on Sunday. While the ten-team World Cup is set to be played between October 5 and November 19, the BCCI is yet to finalise the schedule, with just about four months left for the start of the tournament.Related

• ICC: 2023 World Cup fixtures to be released 'as soon as we possibly can'

• World Cup 2023 likely to start on October 5 and end on November 19

A total of 48 matches, including the three knockout games, are set to be played across the 46-day period. Ahmedabad aside, the original shortlist of cities on BCCI list comprised: Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot and Mumbai and Trivandrum. It is understood that Nagpur and Pune, too, are under consideration. It is likely that the league matches will be hosted across 10 cities, with two more cities staging the warm-up fixtures preceding the main tournament.

Asia Cup to be formally discussed at ACC meeting

Shah, who is also the current president of the Asian Cricket Council, said an emergent meeting of the ACC will be held to finalise whether the hybrid model proposed by the PCB for the 2023 Asia Cup is feasible.On Sunday, Shah will be meeting his counterparts from Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and Afghanistan Cricket Board to informally discuss their views on the Asia Cup.Pakistan are the hosts of this year’s Asia Cup, scheduled for September, but with India declining to travel there, the ACC has been looking at alternatives. Recently, the PCB had suggested a hybrid model for the six-team tournament, where four of the 13 matches will be held in Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan are grouped together along with Nepal. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are part of the second group.The biggest challenge about the hybrid model concerns the travel involved. Shah said “two or three countries” had sent in their views, which will be formally discussed at the ACC meeting in the next ten days.Shah said, in his capacity as ACC chairman, he wanted the Asia Cup to go ahead this year. The tournament has not been be hosted in Pakistan or India since 2008 due to the political differences between both countries.

“There’s many things you can look back on and as a side, you’re just looking to improve and learn from this”

Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2023Lack of batting partnerships and accurate bowling for long periods brought New Zealand’s downfall in Sylhet, according to their captain Tim Southee, after the visitors went down by 150 runs for their first Test defeat in Bangladesh. The two sides went toe-to-toe at the end of their respective first innings, but the home side pulled ahead with a strong performance in the third innings, before bowling out New Zealand for 181 on the fifth morning.Southee said that Bangladesh were accurate for longer periods and praised his opposite number Najmul Hossain Shanto for striking an opportune century.Related

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• Taijul's six-for gives Bangladesh first home Test win against New Zealand

“You look at the way that the Bangladesh bowlers were able to apply pressure for a long period of time. I think we did it in periods, but we probably didn’t do it for long enough,” Southee said.”You are always looking at partnerships as a batting unit. I think Shanto played a great innings. It was obviously a very timely one as well, given the situation of the game. There’s many things you can look back on and as a side, you’re just looking to improve and hopefully, learn from this and move forward in a few days.”I think the Bangladesh bowlers bowled well, and very accurate, and in the way they bowl and the style they bowl, we know that in this part of the world, it tends to get harder to bat as the Test moves on. It tends to take a little bit more turn and a little bit more variable bounce. You just need a couple of partnerships.”Southee insisted that New Zealand chose the best playing XI in Sylhet as the likes of Kyle Jamieson, Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi have been performing well recently, especially in the subcontinent.”You look at the conditions and you look at the squad you’ve got, and you pick your best XI. You look at the bowling group and KJ (Kyle Jamieson) has been a phenomenal performer for us.”Ish Sodhi was the Player of the Series in the last series that he played, and AJ (Ajaz Patel) has been a great bowler for us in this part of the world. I think you look at it at the start of the Test, and you pick your strongest side, which you think is going to win you the game.”New Zealand also batted at a slower pace than Bangladesh, which many felt bogged them down in pressure situations. Southee defended his batters’ style of play compared to Bangladesh’s attacking mantra.”I think it comes back to the nature of the play. I think Kane Williamson likes to absorb pressure in different ways to someone like Darryl Mitchell.”I think it’s about trusting your own style and the only way you go about it. If you look at Shanto’s method, it is different to someone like Mominul’s. So it’s about how you go about it and trusting your way,” he said.Southee, however, said that tiredness wasn’t a factor in New Zealand’s performance in Sylhet.”There’s been a number of fresh guys coming in. Three or four of them have been playing domestic cricket. We had a little bit of a break after the World Cup. I think as players, you know that it’s a busy schedule. You know what’s in front of you.”You’re trying to freshen up as well as you can. The guys were in good spirits before this. It’s been a long time on the road for some but that’s part and parcel of being an international cricketer.”

When the day began, we wondered if there would be a day four in the Hyderabad Test. Then Bazball arrived.After England lost four of their first five wickets in the first innings to defensive shots, you could almost imagine their coach, after whom Bazball is named, telling them it is more acceptable to get out reverse-sweeping than defending. That commitment to the sweep of various varieties brought India face to face with Bazball properly for the first time. England claimed the honours on the third day in Hyderabad, converting a first-innings deficit of 190 into a lead of 126 with four wickets in hand.Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 148 was the biggest turnaround from the first innings during which he meekly followed the turn with his hands and edged to slip. In the second innings, he swept and reverse-swept with aplomb to mess around with the spinners’ lines and lengths and capitalise on the enterprising start provided by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. He was rewarded with a first century in India, the highest second-innings score by a visiting batter in India since Alastair Cook’s 175 in Ahmedabad 12 years ago.All told, England scored 79 runs with variants of the sweep without losing a wicket to it. Pope alone scored 41 of those runs, pulling the shot off almost every time a spinner troubled him. Consequently England became the first team since Nagpur 2012-13 to score 300 against India in a second innings in India.India will be thankful you can’t reverse-sweep Jasprit Bumrah. For it could have been worse for the hosts without a rousing spell of reverse-swing bowling just after lunch during which he got rid of Duckett and Joe Root. The pitch offered only slow turn, and England kept nailing high-risk options, but the spinners will still be disappointed that Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers on a day-three surface with figures of 12-3-29-2. R Ashwin went at 4.42 an over for his two wickets, and Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja at 4.60 and 3.88 for one each.Jasprit Bumrah sent back Ben Duckett and Joe Root during a fiery spell of reverse-swing•BCCI

For all the talk of Bazball and the excellent start England managed against pace in the first innings, what had stood out was their top three falling to traditional dismissals. All three were caught playing defensively in front of their body, which leaves you at the mercy of the turn, whose degree you cannot predict with any certainty.Having taken the last three Indian wickets for 15 – led again by Joe Root the offspinner – England played what they practised. Not immediately, though. In his first two overs with the new ball, Ashwin could have had both Duckett and Crawley, but the inside edges fell either side of short leg. That was enough to shake them up. No more, they said.Crawley began with the reverse-sweep against Ashwin before taking Axar downtown. All the sweeping played on Ashwin’s lengths. In order to stay one step ahead, he overpitched far more than usual, and it was only when he went back to a proper length that he drew a forward defensive from Crawley. The ball didn’t turn, and the edge went to slip. By then, though, England had put 45 on the board.Duckett and Pope kept sweeping and reversing India to distraction. That a lot of practice has gone into the sweeps was plain to see. Like Ben Stokes in the first innings, they kept almost switching their stance without changing their grip, which allowed them to play the reverse-sweep powerfully and in front of square.Post-lunch Bumrah began reversing the ball, but was let done by a non-review of a close lbw shout against Duckett. He bowled him top of off after highly skilful bowling across two overs, but England had hit four boundaries in that time. Still, when Bumrah trapped Root in front, India had 73 runs in the bag.Jonny Bairstow was bowled shouldering arms to Ravindra Jadeja•BCCI

Jonny Bairstow proceeded to thwart Bumrah by staying leg-side of the ball to avoid lbw, reacting late if he bowled the outswinger, and picking the slower ones. When it began to look threatening for India, the natural variation from the pitch came to their aid. Jadeja turned one past his outside edge, and the next ball, nearly identical, went straight on to dislodge the off bail as Bairstow left it alone.Then followed about the only period when England allowed the spinners to work on a dismissal. Ashwin craftily pushed Stokes back and dragged him out with his changes of length until he had him playing back to a full ball, which turned past the bat to bowl him. With 27 runs still in the bag, India would have smelled the win here, especially as Pope and Ben Foakes were forced to play defensively.There came a period of 70 balls without a boundary for England as Foakes played more traditionally, and Pope was kept quiet. After tea, though, the floodgates opened again as India began the session, unimpressively so, with Jadeja and Axar. Not for the first time in his short tenure as captain, Rohit Sharma has begun a session with the bowlers who had till then looked the least likely to take a wicket.In the final session, Pope was even more emphatic with his reverse-sweeping, on one occasion even reverse-Dilscooping Jadeja over the keeper’s head. In between he gave the charge once in a while but the backbone of his innings was the sweeping and the reverse-sweeping. By them time he made a mistake with the reverse, he had already scored 110, and even then he was dropped by Axar at backward point.Axar came back to take Foakes’ wicket with one that stayed low, but that was the extent of inroads India would make. At stumps on day three, the new ball was three overs away, which would give India hope. There is every chance that on a pitch with slow turn, and given their spin attack, England might not stretch their lead far enough for this Test but this turnaround could still have implications for the series.

The visitors produced a late-innings surge in the final five overs as New Zealand lost their captain to injury

Andrew McGlashan27-Mar-2024

Maia Bouchier hit an outstanding 91 to supercharge England towards a series-clinching 47-run victory against New Zealand in the fourth T20I, in Wellington.Bouchier, who had been promoted to open as England reshuffled their side with WPL players now available, followed her maiden half-century from the third game with a destructive display which powered the visitors to 177 for 3.New Zealand had suffered a major blow when captain Sophie Devine picked up a quad strain while bowling. She sent down only one over and did not appear with the bat as the home side were overwhelmed.Bouchier notches up her career bestEngland did not race away in the powerplay and sat on 35 for 1 after six overs. However, Bouchier had already been given a reprieve when she was missed on 5 in the opening over as keeper Izzy Gaze and Devine at slip left an outside edge to each other.Bouchier was 20 off 18 balls after the powerplay – which included a magnificent straight six off Hannah Rowe – then started to move through the gears to reach fifty from 33 balls. By then, she had been given another life on 44 when Jess Kerr missed a return catch.Back-to-back boundaries off Amelia Kerr took her into the 90s in 18th over but she fell the next delivery. Her 91 was the seventh-highest score for England in T20Is.England’s strong finishThere was a series of strong partnerships for England. Bouchier and Alice Capsey, one of the four players who had been at the WPL back in the side, added 75 in 61 balls although Capsey couldn’t quite hit her stride with 25 off 32 balls.The tempo was lifted as Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt put on 38 off 20 deliveries before the innings was given a powerpacked finish by Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight as they added 34 off just 14 balls. In total, England amassed 65 off the last five overs which all went for double figures.Other than the 14th over delivered by Suzie Bates, England found at least one boundary in every over after the powerplay.New Zealand don’t challenge record chaseIt was always going to be a tall order for the home side to chase down 178, doubly so with Devine having picked up an injury. Their hopes took another major blow when Bates fell to Lauren Bell in the opening over.Bernadine Bezuidenhout and Amelia built a promising second-wicket stand as New Zealand kept up with England’s initial scoring rate. But Charlie Dean had Amelia taken at square leg in her opening over then added Maddy Green when she got a glove on a reverse sweep.Sophie Ecclestone was typically miserly on her return to international duty although blotted her copybook when she shelled a regulation catch at long off. Dean picked up two further wickets in her last over to finish with four.The potential seriousness of Devine’s injury was clear when she did not appear in the middle order.

Turner's future is again uncertain as reports suggest Lyon are looking to cancel long-speculated purchase of the goalkeeper

Lyon reportedly look to get out of Turner purchaseUSMNT goalkeeper made three club appearances last seasonTurner previously mentioned MLS is an optionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Matt Turner could be back on the market as Ligue 1 side Lyon are reportedly looking into canceling their rumored $9.42 million move for the goalkeeper.

According to L'Equipe, Lyon need to reduce their wage bill and ensure economic stability to ensure they remain in the French top flight. The outlet reports owner John Textor has appointed a lawyer to revoke Turner's contract at their hearing with the National Council of the French Football Association.

Turner, who made just three club appearances last season while on loan with Crystal Palace, needs a move get meaningful playing time and to maintain his challenge for the U.S. No. 1 job.

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L'Equipe reports the same lawyer has already reached out to Nottingham Forest to reconsider the commitment for the goalkeeper's sale. Lucas Perri is the club's current No. 1 option at the position, and with no sale imminent, Lyon are conscious of DNCG's demand of prudent spending.

The spend for Turner to potentially serve as No. 2 isn't prudent by those guidelines. With Turner's future again uncertain, a return to MLS could be a potential option. The American previously mentioned he's open to coming back stateside.

"Yeah, I think I'd always be open to coming back home, but I've had a lot of positive talks with a lot of different clubs," Turner said.

Turner previously starred for the New England Revolution before leaving to head to Europe, initially with Arsenal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Turner didn't start playing soccer until he was 14, originally picking up the sport to stay active for the two sports he played at the time in basketball and baseball.

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WHAT NEXT FOR TURNER?

Turner will now await the outcome to determin where he could potentially land if Lyon decide to void contract.

Ireland, who haven’t played a Test since the summer of 2023, are yet to register a win in the format

Danyal Rasool27-Feb-2024Big picture – A rare Test for Afghanistan and IrelandSix-and-a-half years ago, these two sides were awarded Full Member status, but aside from the financial perks that brings, that promotion for Ireland and Afghanistan has seemed little more than theoretical. Neither side is part of the World Test Championship; none of them have even played a three-match Test series. The two have combined for 15 Tests, nearly all of them stand-alone, one-off games tacked on like afterthoughts to a white-ball series.The Test these two play in Abu Dhabi this week is no different, one five-day game followed by three ODIs and three T20Is. Afghanistan are coming off a Test in Colombo that Sri Lanka won at a canter, but at least that means they have some red-ball experience they can leverage. Much of the squad is similar to the one they picked for that game, and while Rashid Khan moves closer to a return, Afghanistan remain without him for now.Related

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Khalil Gurbaz in Afghanistan squad for one-off Test against Ireland

Matthew Foster in line for debut as Ireland name squads for Afghanistan series

Ireland, meanwhile, last played a Test in the summer of 2023, though they did play four Tests that year, a number Afghanistan would have to go back to 2021 to equal. Unlike the three Tests Afghanistan have won, though, Ireland are yet to break their duck, finishing second best in all seven. That is mitigated by the relatively tougher opposition they have played, and the one match these sides played against each other before was also officially a “home” Test for Afghanistan, played in Dehradun. Afghanistan would ease to a seven-wicket win.Form guideAfghanistan LLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LLLLLIn the spotlight – Gurbaz and TuckerWicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one of Afghanistan’s brightest stars for his prowess with the bat and behind the stumps in the white-ball game, but is yet to make his Test debut. That looks almost certain to change with his inclusion to this squad. While data on his red-ball style of play is difficult to reliably source, the 12 first-class games he’s played have seen him average almost 50 with a strike rate over 72. There is little reason why his obvious talent should not translate to the longest format, and if he hits his stride, it will be as watchable as it is effective.Vice-captain Lorcan Tucker is one of Ireland’s nailed-on starters, though much of the past three months have seen him warm substitute benches in South Africa and Pakistan. He was with the Paarl Royals in the SA20, but wouldn’t end up getting a game, and played as wicketkeeper for Lahore Qalandars in their opening fixture before being benched for the next two. But Ireland require him to hit the ground running in Abu Dhabi, and relied on him for his contributions in the middle order in all four Tests in 2023. He was their leading Test run-scorer for the year, his 351 runs coming at 43.87, an average none of his countrymen matched.The first one – the Afghanistan players celebrate their maiden Test win after beating Ireland in Dehradun, in 2019•AFPTeam newsAfghanistan’s biggest challenge concerns papering over Rashid’s absence. Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan is back in the squad after missing out against Sri Lanka, and uncapped legspinner Khalil Gurbaz has also been drafted in.Afghanistan: 1 Ibrahim Zadran 2 Noor Ali Zadran 3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) 4 Rahmat Shah 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt) 6 Ikram Alikhil 7 Nasir Jamal 8 Zia ur Rehman 9 Nijat Masood 10 Naveed Zadram 11 Zahir KhanLeft-arm spinner Theo van Woerkom, who switched allegiances from New Zealand to Ireland and made his white-ball debut last year, looks set to play his first Test in a line-up that otherwise looks similar to Ireland’s recent Test starting XIs.Ireland: 1 James McCollom 2 Peter Moor 3 Andrew Balbirnie (capt) 4 Harry Tector 5 Paul Stirling 6 Curtis Campher 7 Lorcan Tucker (wk) 8 Mark Adair 9 Andy McBrine 10 Theo van Woerkom 11 Craig YoungPitch and conditionsThere was a late change of venue for this Test match. Originally scheduled for the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the game will now be played at the Tolerance Oval adjacent to the bigger ground. A press release later confirmed that the change was because the Sheikh Zayed Stadium will instead be hosting the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Championship, between March 1 and 3.Ireland, who selected their initial squad on the assumption the Sheikh Zayed Stadium doesn’t take too much red-ball turn, only learned of the change after arriving in the UAE. With this being the first Test at the Oval, conditions are a bit of a mystery, though weather is not expected to play spoilsport.Stats and trivia The Tolerance Oval will be the 122nd venue to host Test match cricket. Afghanistan’s dependence on Rashid reflects in the wickets charts. The legspinner has taken 34 in five matches, 16 clear of his closest compatriot, Amir Hamza, who has 18. Should Ireland register a win in either of their next three Tests, they will pip Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand in the number of matches taken to register their first Test win

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is reportedly on the verge of taking over the famed No. 10 shirt as the club gears up for the 2025-26 season

• Mbappe wore No.9 shirt lasts eason
• Could inherit No.10 from Modric
• Wears same number with French national team

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wearing the No. 9 jersey, the Frenchman delivered a debut season worthy of the hype, netting 44 goals across all competitions. His explosive performances earned him both the Pichichi Trophy for La Liga’s top scorer and the European Golden Boot, cementing his immediate impact in Spanish football.

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  With Modric departing Real Madrid for AC Milan, the legendary Croatian playmaker left behind more than just memories; he also left his No. 10 shirt up for grabs. For Mbappe, who has long worn that number for the France national team and during his early days at AS Monaco, the opportunity to reclaim it at club level holds significance.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  From a marketing perspective, the decision is a win-win for Real Madrid. Last season, the club sold hundreds of thousands of shirts bearing 'Mbappe 9' on the back. Now, with the possibility of reintroducing the Frenchman with the No. 10 shirt, Real Madrid is poised to spark yet another surge in merchandise sales. The club views the transition not just as a footballing formality but as a strategic opportunity to enhance Mbappe’s global profile.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Currently enjoying a post-season break following a gruelling campaign, Mbappe is expected to report back to training on August 4. The first competitive match is slated for August 19 against Osasuna in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu.